Yes, I know this is a very odd comparison. We know the Audi is faster but they are testing handling as well.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpA0EHSdjm0]

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…the Ford F series pickup…again.

The honored F was redone for ’09.  But once the shining child of the American auto market, the F is far from its prime.  The pickup achieved its high-point in ’04 with almost 940,000 units sold.  The number for ’09?  Well under 414,000.  With all the cash, advertising, and labor put into it, the F couldn’t break out of the recession’s pull.  The Chevrolet Silverado (#3) was well behind it with 317,000, and Dodge Ram (#10) came in with a rather weak 177,000 units.

The big truck losers?  The GMC Sierra came nowhere near the Silverado’s numbers (112,000), making the argument for us that it’s time to assimilate the damn thing into the Chevy line.  The Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, Honda Ridgeline, and Ford Explorer were nowhere to be seen.  The smaller Tacoma, Escape, and RAV4 all did well, however.

The Toyota Camry was the top car and #2 overall.  The sale decline with the Camry was small, as the sedan managed to push out 357,000 units.  Behind it were the Corolla with 297,000, the Honda Accord with 290,000, and Civic with 260,000.  The only American car to break into the top ten was Ford’s Fusion.  That came in at #9 with 181,000.chevy silverado for sale

Honda will be continuing its hybrid path with full steam, despite the poor reception to its Insight sedan.  The CR-Z, a sport hatch designed in the spirit of the old CRX, will be the attention-grabber.  The CR-Z will utilize lightweight materials, a streamlined form, and possibly a reworked version of the Inisght powertrain to create the greenest sport compact in the market.  Honda will also be producing a gas-electric version of its Fit subcompact, said to be targeting a $19,000 starting price range.  Both are reportedly scheduled for the 2011 model year and may premiere in the upcoming LA auto show. honda civic

Here’s a new promo video for the British-spec Mugen Civic Type R.  Mugen, Honda’s “official” tuner, has revamped the Japanese sport hatch.  The new tuner work comes with a new front spoiler, a giant rear wing, a busty exhaust, Mugen exclusive eighteen-inchers, hood vents, and a souped-up four-banger pushing up to 237 hp.

We may not get this, but we still have the Insight…

Official pricing and specs for the Kia Forte sedan have been released.  The Forte will have a starting price of $13,700; a total of two engines, four transmissions, and three trim levels will be offered, with a coupe bodystyle soon to follow.  The Forte replaces the Spectra as Kia’s primary compact vehicle.  The Forte is the second model of a new generation of Kias to reach North America.  Kia management is hoping to recondition the brand to appeal to young buyers as an alternative to Toyota’s Scion.  Borrowing a Scion cue with the tC, the new Kia line will drop innovation and instead offer stylish designs inspired from existing products.  (The tC was formulated from research that found young buyers wanting something akin to a BMW in aesthetics.)

The whole plan is part of a broader Hyundai effort to break into Japanese market share in the West.  Hyundai vehicles have improved in overall quality, but suffer from a stale image.  Rather than take a risk, designers are reworking popular forms seen on the road today.  The Genesis sedan borrows from the Mercedes S-class and Lexus LS-series, the coupe takes from the Infiniti G37, and the Soul from the Honda Element and Scion xB.

It’s easy to see the Forte is visually derived from the Honda Civic.  The Hyundai plan hopes to attract enough buyers away from competitors through pricing advantages.   Kia Motors is seeking to drop its reputation for cheap economy for one of affordable style–the Old Navy of automobiles, if you will.  Kia aims to have a sport package for the Forte sedan and coupe in the near-future.